1
as in feel
a feeling that something bad will happen
I had a nagging presage that the results of my medical tests would not be good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the sight of the first robin is always a welcome presage of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to predict
to tell of or describe beforehand
people used to believe that a comet presaged a major event, such as the death of a king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of presage
Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
As the ending of the story perhaps presages, Martha is on the cusp of a change in her life.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Francisco Rodríguez, Foreign Affairs, 17 Nov. 2025
The tension between those companies and the state, which previously issued cease-and-desist letters to prediction markets, potentially presages a state-by-state conflict that plays out across the country.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presage
Noun
The New Moon in Virgo, which occurs shortly after Mercury turns direct, presages really big beginnings throughout the zodiac.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
As the ending of the story perhaps presages, Martha is on the cusp of a change in her life.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Verb
Trump’s threat of fire and fury could presage violence.
—Francisco Rodríguez, Foreign Affairs, 17 Nov. 2025
The tension between those companies and the state, which previously issued cease-and-desist letters to prediction markets, potentially presages a state-by-state conflict that plays out across the country.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presage
Noun
-
Halsey's wavy hair gives their longer pixie cut a retro feel.—
Audrey Noble,
InStyle,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Crafted from 100% cotton, the fabric delivers the soft stretch and cozy feel of your favorite T-shirt while being gentle on the skin.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The study by Diversified Energy Specialists predicts that smaller fuel dealers will be negatively affected by the policy more than larger companies.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The youngest chewing-gum seller would adopt the conspiratorial tones of a seasoned Kremlinologist, seeing signs and premonitions in every event.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson still wonder if their father, former teen idol Ricky Nelson, had a premonition before his tragic demise.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
-
But with the hindsight of the 2025 campaign, it is filled with signifiers, the emergence from the TV to dazzle the local villagers a portent of a savvy politician who got elected by stepping away from the screen to meet physically with voters.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The construction plans have generally raised fears that the London complex could serve as a Beijing intelligence hub.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Several Venezuela residents told TIME that the fear of what might be discovered on their phone at a checkpoint has guided their behavior in the days since Maduro's ouster.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The vast majority of these deaths are caused by illicit fentanyl which experts report is typically synthesized in Mexico from precursor chemicals provided by Chinese operatives and brought into the United States via vehicles passing through official ports of entry.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The Golden Globes are a great precursor to what is to come there.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In these sectors, while unemployment hasn’t surged, hiring has essentially been frozen for the past year, especially for entry-level roles, as firms juggle worries over economic uncertainty and AI fears.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield moved higher on Monday as investor worries around the Federal Reserve’s independence spurred volatility in the stock market and following the 10-year auction.—
Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Presage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presage. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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